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Wasted Energy

Connecting Points

Today’s Text: Psalm 119:78 (ESV) Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.

I don’t have the energy I once did. Age, weight, and conditioning all contribute to the problem. I get tired far too fast.

Yesterday I helped my son track down a deer he had shot on Sunday evening. Up and down the ridges I went, circumventing trees and deadfalls, all the while looking for that tell-tale sign of blood in the leaves. After finding the first one, we went looking for the second one. When we saw the first drop of blood there was a surge of renewed energy that motivated both of us, because this was the deer we really wanted. All my son could remember seeing was lots of tall, widespread antlers.

We followed a very sparse trail of sporadic drops of blood up the hill for about thirty yards, and then it was gone. So we started a grid search of the area. I walked, and walked, and walked. I took every possible escape route the deer would have taken along the side of the huge forested ridges. Up and down and around we went for over an hour, but not once did either of us see any sign that the deer was mortally wounded. He’ll be bigger next year.

There was a valid purpose for expending that amount of energy, and the possible outcome kept us motivated. But I have discovered in my personal life that I expend far too much energy on things that deserve none. Those things make me tired. If I had to classify all of those things under one heading, I would label it “Fixables”.

I think I am a fixer. It is a fleshly flaw. I will no longer try to justify it. I reject it as sin. I have never been nor will I ever be given the responsibility of fixing anyone but myself. And I am certainly not responsible for fixing what other people do, even if they do it against me.

I have wasted so much energy in my life trying to fix situations and people. I have wasted even more energy trying to fix my own image when someone else has done something to destroy it. I react very poorly when a lie is told about me, and I immediately attempt to fix it. What I have not accepted in the past is that the choice to fix is a product of the belief I have chosen that I have the right and responsibility to fix it. How wrong!

Read today’s verse carefully. Here’s the New Living Translation to help – Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me; meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments.

The Author responds in two ways to the wrongs committed against him:

He tells God what happened and asks Him to handle it;

He goes back to studying God’s Word and will for his own life.

No wasted energy. How refreshing. How much more time I am going to have to do the will of God because I’m not wasting time doing work I am not called nor equipped to do. Imagine how much more is going to be done for the glory of God because I’ve stopped trying to protect the glory of self. Just think – more time and more energy, capped off by more peace because I know the outcome is in the hands of the One who in His faithfulness has allowed this affliction to happen to me.

So today begins an exciting adventure of faith. The first step is to let go of the belief that I am supposed to fix wrongs. Once I let go of that, I can stop spending the energy it would have taken to do what I am not responsible to do. Then, having let go of my security ropes, I can fall into the arms of my Lord and enjoy His peace that passes all understanding, because I know – I KNOW – that He has it under control.